CS News
nforum Center for Leadership Develops Program for Women Veterans with Substantial Grant from The Cooper Standard Foundation
Detroit // Inforum Center for Leadership (ICL) announces the development of Next4Vets, a custom leadership program for returning women Veterans who are transitioning from active duty to the workplace. The Cooper Standard Foundation is underwriting the research and development of ICL's new program that will become the first training offered under Cooper Standard's Careers for Veterans program.
Next4Vets will be centered on ICL's Genuine Leadership Presence™, a program that focuses on strategies beyond technical skills and leadership competencies to leverage the power of reputation and perception within the context of a company's culture.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, women are the fastest-growing group within the Veteran population. Next4Vets will be designed to support companies and other organizations in the hiring and retention of women Veterans. Additionally, Inforum's extensive network of members and corporate investors across Michigan enables extraordinary connections for returning women Veterans that can change one's work and influence one's life.
"We are proud to partner with Inforum on this important initiative," said Jeff Edwards, Cooper Standard's chairman and CEO. "When we launched the Careers for Veterans program at Cooper Standard, we wanted to make training available to Veterans entering the civilian workforce to ensure a successful transition. In researching non-profit organizations to partner with on training, we quickly found that there was little geared towards returning women Veterans and looked to Inforum Center for Leadership to help provide this unique training."
In order to identify and address the unique needs of returning women Veterans, the research and development process will include a series of focus groups, individual and company interviews, a comprehensive review of current literature, and a thorough analysis of international assessment data. Additionally, research will include military data on the geographic distribution and total number of returning military women as well as corporate hiring practices.
"Inforum is honored to partner with Cooper Standard on the development of a program exclusively for women Veterans that will ease the transfer of leadership skills from active duty to the workplace," said Terry Barclay, president and CEO, Inforum and Inforum Center for Leadership. "For more than a decade, ICL has designed and delivered leadership development programs to accelerate women's careers and boost talent initiatives for companies. Next4Vets is our way of supporting the brave women who've sacrificed so much for our country."
The Next4Vets program will be piloted in fourth quarter 2014 and will become part of Inforum Center for Leadership's portfolio of leadership development programs beginning in spring 2015.
About Inforum Center for Leadership
Inforum Center for Leadership (ICL) is the 501©3 nonprofit education and research arm of Inforum. ICL programs serve a broad range of professional women in different stages and types of careers from emerging leaders, to high-potential executives, high-tech entrepreneurs, and for-profit corporate board leaders. Inforum Center for Leadership also conducts and publishes research on women's leadership influence. Visit www.inforummichigan.org
About Cooper Standard
Cooper Standard, headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include sealing and trim, fuel and brake delivery, fluid transfer, anti-vibration and thermal and emissions systems. Cooper Standard employs more than 25,000 people globally and operates in 19 countries around the world. The Cooper Standard Foundation was established in June 2013 to strengthen the communities in which Cooper Standard employees work and live through the support of children's charities, education, health and wellness and community revitalization. For more information, please visit www.cooperstandard.com.
Media Contact:
Connie Thompson, Inforum
248.808.0458
cthompson@inforummichigan.org